The present invention relates to the regulation of gene expression in transgenic plants. In particular it is concerned with the isolation and use of DNA sequences which control the expression of genes in lignifying tissues and in response to pathogen attack.
The ability to isolate and manipulate plant genes has opened the way to gain understanding about the mechanisms involved in the regulation of plant gene expression. This knowledge is important for the exploitation of genetic engineering techniques to practical problems such as the expression of genes in genetically manipulated crop plants exhibiting improved quality and production characteristics.
Many examples have been reported in the literature of plant DNA sequences which have been used to drive the expression of foreign genes in plants. In most instances the regions immediately 5' to the coding regions of genes have been used in gene constructs. These regions are referred to as promoter sequences. They may be derived from plant DNA; or from other sources, e.g., viruses. It has been demonstrated that sequences up to 500-1000 bases in most instances are sufficient to allow for the regulated expression of foreign genes. The provide a promoter sequence suitable for the control of foreign gene expression in plants.